20 Tips for Adjusting to Retirement

Posted by Doug Murray on November 10, 2016, Updated on February 22, 2018

When your life is dominated by the daily grind, the idea of one day retiring and simply doing nothing may seem fantastic. However, retirement takes its toll not only financially but also emotionally. Even if it isn’t part of your plans for the near future, the sooner you start preparing for retirement, the easier it will be to adjust to this huge life change when the time comes.

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1. Get Your Savings in Order

It’s never too early to start saving for retirement but the closer you get to retirement age, the more important it is to put away enough money for when you don’t get that regular paycheque anymore. The website All Women's Talk suggests that you look for better rates for your savings.

2. Downsize Your Home

Another way to boost your savings, according to All Women's Talk, is to find a smaller, cheaper home. After all, will you really need those four bedrooms once the kids have left the nest? To get ready for downsizing, check out these 7 simple tips that will help prepare.

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3. Budget

When you don’t have a regular income anymore, you’ll have to learn to get by with the money that you do have. How Stuff Works suggests that you draw up a budget and then stick to it so that you can retire with millions.

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4. Don’t Build Your Entire Identity Around Your Job

A common emotional pitfall for retirees, according to Everyday Health, is the loss of identity after a lifetime of calling yourself a doctor, a writer, a computer analyst or whatever your job has been. Try building your identity around other aspects of your life, such as your hobbies or your likes and dislikes.

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5. Have Friends Outside of Work

Forbes says that when you retire, your social circle may suddenly shrink as you lose your friends from work. To avoid this, start building friendships with people other than your co-workers.

6. Stay Socially Connected

Forbes also says that it’s important to stay socially connected once you’ve retired. Make new friends or reconnect with old ones so that you don’t build your social life only around your family.

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7. Find Ways to Reduce Stress

Retirement can be very stressful and Everyday Health suggests that you look into meditation, exercise, therapy or other practices that can reduce stress. Getting into these habits now will also help you cope with life pre-retirement. You can also try checking out these gorgeous and warm spots to retire for a more stress-free life.

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8. Stay Active

How Stuff Works says that you need to stay active after retirement because just sitting around the house will be bad for you, both physically and mentally.

9. Set Goals

According to Forbes, it will be easier to adjust to retirement if you set goals, from little ones like taking a shower and dressing in something other than your PJs to bigger ones, like looking for a volunteer job or one of these weird jobs to make a little extra cash.

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10. Build a New Routine

Everyday Health suggests that you build a new daily routine. For example, walk the dog (which is proven to keep your healthier) or have a regular coffee date with a friend.

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11. Find Your New Path

Think about what you want to do with all that newfound free time. Maybe you want to keep doing something similar to the job you’ve had but, as Everyday Health says, doing something completely different is a great way to make new friends and challenge yourself.

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12. Build Skills You Can Use Post-Retirement

According to How Stuff Works, it’s a good idea to keep working in some capacity after retirement. So, start building skills that you can use in a part-time or freelance capacity, or that can help you start and run your own business.

13. Share Your Skills

A common side effect of retirement is the feeling of not being useful anymore. How Stuff Works suggests that you find ways of sharing your skills and experience, for instance by teaching or mentoring. See 20 of the best jobs for retirees for where to start.

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14. Take Up New Hobbies

All Women’s Talk suggests that you take up new hobbies to help you stay active, get out in the world and stimulate your mind.

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15. Go Back to School

A great way to keep your mind stimulated is to go back to school and take classes in a field that you’re interested in, rather than classes that will help advance your career. How Stuff Works says that you can attend free or very affordable audit classes at many institutions, where you don’t take exams or earn a qualification.

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16. Volunteer

By volunteering, you get to share your skills, learn new ones, stick to a routine, stay active and meet new people. You’ll also feel useful and, as How Stuff Works says, it may help you live longer.

17. Take Up a Cause

How Stuff Works points out that there are many ways to get involved in causes that you care about, from joining grassroots organizations to volunteering at the polls on election day, or maybe try travelling the world while making a difference.

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18. Work on Your Relationship

As All Women’s Talk points out, retirement means that you’ll be spending more time with your partner than what either of you is used to. Work on strengthening your relationship with these 20 tips for a happy marriage so that it will weather the inevitable storms.

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19. Set Boundaries

According to All Women’s Talk, a common problem for retirees is that people may see you as a free childcare service. You’ll need to set boundaries and make it clear how much of your time you’re willing to give to others.

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20. Travel

Once you’ve retired, you finally have the time and money to go see the world, and as How Stuff Works points out, you’ll also be able to make use of the many discounts for senior citizens. Travelling will help you stay active, and you can even make a difference in some exotic location by doing volunteer work. See the 20 best trips to take after you retire for where to start.